President Rodrigo Duterte has dared Vice President Leni Robredo to take the Sinovac vaccine shot if she wants to boost the confidence of the public on COVID-19 vaccines.
“Siya ang mauna,” Duterte said.
Robredo said that it will be a big help if Duterte will be among the first to take the vaccine shot to convince the public to get vaccinated.
Duterte said that he is still willing for the advice of his doctors on which vaccine brand he will use.
“Siya (Robredo) man ‘yong apurado, siya ang mauna. Ako, I cannot just decide. She’s young, I am not. I have to defer to my doctor,” the 75-year-old Duterte said in a media briefing.
Duterte said that his doctors are considering another Chinese vaccine brand Sinopharm which has yet to be applied for emergency use approval in the Philippines. The vaccines however were reportedly smuggled for the usage of the Presidential Security Group or PSG and even some cabinet officials according to former Special Envoy to China Mon Tulfo.
“Ano bang problema nila sa bakuna na talagang magpabakuna man ako? If I do not want to die and get COVID, I should get one. I go around a lot. I meet so many people on any given trip outside,” said Duterte.
“Bakit dadramahin pa ‘yang sinong mauna, sinong… Ako magpabakuna. Ang problema, ang doktor ko may hinihintay,” he added.
About 600,000 doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccines arrived from China on Sunday as part of the Chinese government donation to the Philippines. The country is set to purchase 25 million doses of Sinovac this year.
The Philippines is the last Southeast Asian country to receive initial vaccine supplies. (TDT)
